


Bad Company

by Magentas_Nightmare



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hiding the truth, Merle is a player, Promiscuity, Secrets, unexpected love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:01:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28484307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magentas_Nightmare/pseuds/Magentas_Nightmare
Summary: Merle is a man who is very casual about sex, he is even known to engage in the act as a favor. He thinks it's all fun and games until his heart catches up to him.
Relationships: Merle Dixon & Jacqui
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	Bad Company

**Author's Note:**

> There are a few stories I want to get posted by January 4th because I am getting back to homeschooling and will be busy. Therefore, instead of annoying people who subscribe to my work by posting multiple chapters at once on the same day and having them get multiple notifications, I am posting this as one piece.  
> I hope that makes sense. lol I just don't like bothering people with a lot of notifications so I am trying this method of posting and if people hate it, let me know quickly and I will go back to the old posting method. Thanks, Teagan xoxo

**Bad Company**

**Chapter One**

_Brenda, 24, brunette, blue eyes._

_Simple fuck, no rough stuff._

_9 pm 24b Garnet Street_

Merle was a pipe-fitter but he also made a little money on the side “laying pipe” as it were. It was amusing to him and it wasn't the kind of side gig he ever saw himself being interested in, but it happened about a year before almost by accident and he couldn't see any reason to fight it. He didn't seek it out, it just happened one little job at a time. Making a little on the side to please women discretely was a dream job. Why would he ever have a hang-up about that? He was only 30, with a ton of sexual energy and nothing to lose. What could go wrong?

The first time was for an ex girlfriend who paid him to show her sister a good time and he felt strange about it until the next morning. The sister had been left suddenly by her long-time boyfriend and spent a whole year sulking around that no man would ever want her again. The job was simple and since he'd never met his ex-girlfriend's sister, it worked out perfectly. He was told to pick her up at a bar two towns over where she lived and make her feel beautiful. He was also told to fuck the memory of her ex out of her mind and that's just what he did. He'd done it that first time for a good bottle of scotch and because he still cared for his ex as a good friend, but now he sometimes did it for a little money too since he often had to drive to nearby towns. It had happened about 6 times over the last year and he enjoyed the casual nature of it. Eventually, women in the area would get wise to him but for now it was working. Merle was typically paid to sleep with women who needed to get over someone and occasionally he was paid by men to get rid of a clingy girl they weren't into. Word just got around that he would do the job with no strings attached and one little favor turned into another. It was a funny old world and maybe it was wrong, but Merle didn't figure he was really hurting anyone and he was a man who liked to fuck, so why not have some fun while he was young?

He knocked on Brenda's door at 9 pm sharp and found her looking up at him in confusion.

“Yes?”

“Hey there. My truck just broke down a little ways down the road. Can I use your phone to call a tow truck?”

“Oh...I don't know.”

“You alone? I get it if you're freaked out by a stranger...I can walk down to the gas station. Thanks anyway, honey.”

There was a little pause, but then she thought better of it for some reason.

“No, it's OK. You don't look like a criminal to me,” she shrugged with a little grin. “Come on in.”

It was incredible what you could get away with using just the word honey.

Merle gave her a little wink and stepped into her kitchen to make a call to nobody. She waited in the living room as he pretended to be calling a tow truck for a vehicle that wasn't even broken down.

“Damn it,” he sighed as he hung up.

“Something wrong?”

“The guy can't be here for close to an hour. I'll go wait in the truck I guess. Thanks a lot. Was real sweet of you to let me in.”

She shifted her weight and then looked up at him with anxious but interested eyes. Merle couldn't figure out why his foreman, Mark, was trying to pawn this girl off. Brenda was gorgeous and curvy and a little shy, Merle liked that.

“I was just gonna have a beer...did you want one while you wait?”

“For real? Sure, I'd love one. The name's Merle.”

“I'm Brenda,” she smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

Brenda opened them both a cold beer and sat next to him on the couch. Merle had to get moving, he only had about 45 minutes to get her to ask him to stay before he would have to pretend to call the tow truck driver and cancel the job.

“So, you live alone?” he asked.

“Yeah, my ex just moved out a month ago...broke up with me out of the blue. I guess you don't wanna hear about that,” she sighed.

“It's alright. The guy must be a fuckin' idiot to leave you though if you don't mind me saying.”

“Oh, thanks,” she blushed.

“Gotta say, of all the places I could be held up for an hour, I was lucky to knock on your door,” he added.

“You're a sweet talker,” she said.

“I got dumped myself recently. Sorry if I'm coming on strong, but you're really pretty.”

“Sorry to hear that. Guess we're in the same boat here,” she sighed.

Bingo. It was really that easy. It was a little white lie, he hadn't been dumped, but it made her feel better about the whole thing. He edged just a little closer to her on the couch and she tensed up a little but didn't back away. She was into it and he wanted to get a move on. Brenda's soft brown hair and sweet smile were getting him hard already.

“How much of an asshole would I be if I said I wanted to kiss you?” he asked.

“You do?”

“Yeah. Just tell me to get the hell out...it's OK.”

“I don't think you're an asshole,” she assured him. “Maybe I even want you to kiss me.”

Merle set his beer down on the coffee table and touched her cheek with his work-weathered hand.

“You up for a little fun to forget those idiots who dumped us?” he almost growled as his lips moved in on her neck.

“Yeah...why not?” she grinned and then her fingers were threading through his curls and pulling him closer.

Merle sank into the couch and took her beer bottle from her hand to set it on the table next to his. He was going to enjoy this and he planned to rub it in Mark's face that he had let a really good woman go. Brenda reached her hand down in no time to feel him up on top of his tight jeans.

“Mmmm...this is crazy...but you should call the tow truck and cancel,” she panted. "Stay the night.”

“I don't live in town,” he explained as his hand reached under her body to grab her ass. “Do you mind this being just a one-time thing?”

“I don't really do things like this...but I can't resist you,” she grinned. “Call the tow truck guy and meet me in my bedroom.”

“You got it, honey,” he teased.

Merle dialed his own phone number and explained to his answering machine that he didn't need the tow anymore and then he was diving onto Brenda's bed to ravish her. He yanked her shirt up over her head and kissed from her neck to her belly as she squirmed beneath him. She giggled playfully as he pulled her jeans down her legs and teased her through her pink panties and he loved every second of it. Mark had promised to give him any weekend off that he requested and a case of beer for this favour and Merle was happy with that. Merle would never do something like he was doing just for money, he also liked it. He felt like some kind of sexual double agent.

Merle stripped off his clothes to show her what kind of fun she was in for and her eyes went wide when she saw his dick; that was a common reaction.

“Holy shit!” she grinned. “Come here!”

“Impatient little thing, but I'm goin' down first.”

Merle slid her panties down her legs and pulled her feet onto his upper back to get her going the way he liked. He went for it without reservation, trailing his tongue lazily up and down her slippery wet slit like a demon until she cried out his name.

“Oh Christ, Merle! That feels so good...Jesus...” she hissed.

Merle slid his fingers inside her and she came undone for him so sweetly. Brenda needed this and he could feel the tension floating away as he came over her to finish the deal. He insisted that he didn't expect her to blow him or anything and slid a condom on to get on with it. He didn't like having women doing too much in return for him when he knew he'd never see them again; good sex was enough for him. Once in a while, they'd demand to touch him or blow him and he wouldn't fight about it but he never expected it from them.

Sinking his cock into Brenda was about as perfect as it got. She almost whimpered beneath him and made a sweet and continuous whining sound as he fucked her.

“You forget all about that prick now, honey? You're free now,” he whispered into her ear and she shuddered against him.

“You're so good, baby...damn, this is just what I needed,” she breathed.

“You take that cock so good, woman!” he growled when it started to become too much.

Her nails ran down his back and he gripped the headboard tight to really drive it home.

“Fuckin' hell!” he groaned as he blew his load and collapsed on top of her.

“You're so beautiful, Brenda...thanks for letting me stay.”

/

Brenda was still sleeping the next morning but he woke her to say goodbye. He didn't like leaving them without a word like a thief in the night.

“This was crazy,” she said, looking up at him as he put on his shirt to leave.

“It was amazing. I won't forget it...but we both need to forget those idiots who didn't know what they had, huh?”

“You got that right.”

“The tow truck will be here any minute.”

Merle bent down to kiss her and he knew she'd be asleep again in no time and would never know there was never a tow truck coming. She was ready to move on and felt beautiful again and he'd had a hell of a good night.

"Find someone new who deserve you now, promise me that," he whispered.

"You too."

"I'll try."

He was always honest and told them it was a one-time thing and remarkably it worked every time. It turned out that sometimes women just needed to get laid too and to his knowledge, he hadn't left any of them heartbroken yet. He'd keep it up till it didn't make sense anymore and when it stopped being fun, but he couldn't see that day coming...until it did.

* * *

**Bad Company**

**Chapter 2**

Merle was just finishing up his shift when one of the girls from the payroll office approached him. The work site was just out of town at a large oil refinery and the offices were mostly temporary trailers. He had been on this refinery job doing pipefitting for 6 months already and probably had another few good months to go. Sasha never spoke to him so he found it unusual to have her calling him at the end of shift to talk. He was still in his coveralls and hadn't even washed his hands yet.

“Merle! Gotta minute?”

“Uh, yeah,” he nodded and walked over to see what she needed.

“Can we talk in my office for a second?”

“Sure.”

He was offered a seat across from her desk and recalled that he hadn't set foot in her office since he was hired and had to provide her with his banking information for direct deposit. Sasha was a pretty girl but he had a feeling that she wasn't interested in him, so her reason for speaking to him was mysterious.

“I heard something about you...and I don't know if it's true or not,” she began. “I don't even know how to say this without getting fired for being inappropriate.”

“If it has to do with favors regarding women, it's true,” he said simply.

“Oh...well, I heard that you're discreet...and safe.”

He grinned, this was a hell of a job interview.

“I ain't got any diseases, and I can take no for an answer,” he nodded.

“The thing is, I have an aunt who's a widow and...I just found out this past weekend that she hasn't been with anyone since my uncle died.”

“Takes people some time after their partner dies,” Merle shrugged.

“My Uncle Jerry died seven years ago.”

“Seriously?” Merle exclaimed. "That's a long time."

“Apparently, she was only ever with him and she's just apprehensive about it. She started a business the year he died and that keeps her really busy too. She's a really beautiful woman and I don't know if I'm being stupid here but I just think she's wasting her life all alone...maybe if she-”

“Maybe if she had one night of fun, she'd see what she's missing and find someone?” Merle finished for her.

“Exactly. I mean, can you be sensitive and sweet with her?”

“You don't think one night with a stranger will do more harm than good?” he asked.

“I don't know for sure...but I hate to see her all alone and maybe she just needs a little push.”

“I'll give it a try and see if she's interested but if she's not into it on her own then I don't feel right being too encouraging if you know what I mean.”

“I get it,” Sasha smiled. “Did you want something for this?”

“Does she live in town?”

“No, she's about half an hour away in Jasper.”

Merle considered asking for gas money, but then reconsidered it. Something about sleeping with a widow and taking anything for it just felt wrong somehow.

Sasha pulled a photo of her Aunt Jacqui from her purse and handed it to Merle and he froze for a moment. She was wearing a red silk dress in the photo that hugged her narrow curves perfectly. Jacqui was slim and toned and gorgeous.

“She's a stunner,” he noted.

“I think so too. I'd love to see her with someone.”

“I'll see what I can do. Where should I meet her?”

“She has a work function this weekend and it's open to the public. She does house staging for real estate and it's a cocktail thing at her house.”

“It won't seem weird if I have no business there?”

“Nah. I've been to these things at her place. People just stand there with drinks and yap. Nobody will even ask why you're there. Just say you're interested in home staging if anyone asks.”

It sounded like more work than his usual trick of just picking up a woman at a bar and taking her home for an easy screw, but he did like a challenge and Sasha's aunt was a knockout.

He jotted down Jacqui's address, phone number, and some extra details about her likes and dislikes and tucked it in his wallet. Apparently, Sasha's aunt got annoyed when men rambled about sports a lot and that was fine by him, he never talked to a woman about sports in his whole life. He was looking forward to meeting Sasha's aunt, this favour felt very different already, more like a favor to him than to anyone else. Merle was a sucker for a classy looking woman and Jacqui looked like the kind of fancy woman he'd just love to get his hands on.

/

That Saturday, Merle put on a dress shirt and a clean pair of dress pants to go to a home staging function. He was using his own gas money and using his weekend to do a favor for Sasha but he didn't mind. He was interested in seeing what Jacqui looked like in person. Jacqui seemed closer to his own age and like she had a lot to offer, more than he did. She had her own business and a beautiful home, he doubted very much if he could even interest a woman like her. Most of the women he slept with were younger and in some kind of emotional state that made them easier to persuade.

He arrived at 2pm when the gathering was already well underway and noted that everyone there was in suits and dresses, it was a very classy crowd. He finally caught a glimpse of Jacqui after about 20 minutes as she walked into the main living room area to discuss business with a group of about six men. She was busy the entire time and he had to linger around until the end to even catch her alone. He didn't really know what to say to her but eventually, she noted his presence and spoke to him first.

“I don't believe we've met,” she smiled warmly. “I'm Jacqui Davies of First Impressions Staging.”

“Uh, Merle Dixon. I was just here to learn a little more about this kind of thing.”

“Are you looking to sell?” she asked. “There's no shortage of agent cards around here if you are.”

“Thinking about it,” he nodded. “Think my place needs a little more work before staging will help but I picked up some good tips today anyway.”

Merle's house was old and ugly and he'd never be able to sell it in a hundred years. It was a massive understatement to suggest that a little more work would help. He was a handy guy, but living alone meant that he had nobody to impress and he'd never bothered to fix the place up, it was just somewhere that he slept.

“That's good, I'm happy to hear this wasn't a bust,” she laughed.

“Not at all. Very informative.”

“Thanks,” she smiled.

Jacqui had a pretty smile and her eyes squinted up just a little, Merle found it cute as hell.

“So, I guess you have a lot of clean up now,” he noted, looking around at all the empty glasses and picked over trays of food.

“Looks like it, but I did make some excellent business contacts so it's worth it.”

Merle decided to seize the opportunity, even if it involved a bunch of work on a Saturday.

“Did you want a hand with it?” he asked.

“I couldn't ask you to do that.”

“You didn't. I'm offering,” he winked.

“Seriously?”

“Sure, why not?” he insisted.

It took over an hour just to gather the dishes from all over the house and load the dishwasher and then it was a matter of clearing tables and vacuuming the floors. It was a lot more work than expected but Jacqui put on some music and they chatted the whole time.

Jacqui liked to jog and she painted in her spare time. She played some music he'd never heard on her record player and he liked that she still played records.

“What band is this again?” he asked.

“Night Moves,” she reminded him.

“Sounds like 70s music.”

“It's not, this album is brand new this year. It's a really good band though, I do like a bunch of 70s music too.”

“Same. It was a great decade for music,” he agreed.

“I feel like I owe you a drink after all this,” she grinned.

“I wouldn't say no. People sure left your house in a damn mess, didn't they?” he laughed.

“They sure did,” she sighed. “Let's have a beer on the porch. I need to sit for a minute.”

She offered him a beer on the front porch and came to sit next to him on the porch swing.

“Thanks a lot for staying. You really didn't have to.”

“It was nothing. I might have stayed to spend a little more time with you, but don't tell anyone,” he teased.

“Is that right?” she grinned. “Well, I'm flattered.”

He noted that the sun was already starting to sink lower in the sky and that he'd have to get things moving if it was going to happen that night.

“You're really beautiful, Jacqui,” he said in a serious tone intended to stir something inside her.

“Been forever since a man said that to me,” she said, and then began to fidget with the label of her beer bottle.

“Hard to believe you don't hear it every day. Hard to believe you're even single.”

“How did you know I was single anyway?” she asked.

“No ring...and I just guessed since you let me stay to help.”

He kicked himself for letting it slip that he might know more about her. Fortunately, she let it go and didn't dwell on it.

“I've been single for years actually,” she sighed and looked out over the yard with a contemplative expression.

“How long?” he asked as if he didn't know.

“Going on seven years now. I was married but my husband passed away.”

Merle didn't know what to say and was surprised by how open she was being.

"You're so young to be a widow."

"We were high school sweethearts, only married two years when he was killed in a work accident."

"That's so sad, I'm sorry," he said, not really knowing what the right thing to say was.

“I'm a laugh a minute, huh?” she chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry, I'm just out of practice speaking to men. I bet you regret staying now.”

“Hey, I don't regret it at all. I like talking to you and I like that you feel OK telling me something like that.”

“Thanks, but if I'm scaring you off, you can just say so,” she smiled.

“I ain't scared...I'm interested.”

“Wow,” she blushed and the way she looked in the dying light of day made him want to hang around much longer. “Where did you come from?”

“Oakman.”

“You came all the way from Oakman for this?” she asked. "My niece lives there."

"Really?" he said like he didn't know Sasha already.

His story was starting to sound a little unbelievable so he had to add to it.

“I was coming to town anyway, to check out the Jasper Auto Museum. I was there this morning.”

“Oh, well that makes more sense,” she smiled. “Are you gonna be OK to drive back after a drink?”

“I think so, it's just one.”

“That's true,” she smiled.

He just knew that this couldn't be a one night thing, it just wasn't right, but he wanted to see her again. Jacqui seemed into his flirtation so he could probably get her to have some fun, but not that night. He was planning to try for a kiss but wasn't even sure he could pull that off yet.

“Any chance I could see you again?” he asked.

“I'd like that,” she smiled.

“Sometime this week then?” he pressed.

“Sure...did you want to come over for dinner. I don't eat out very often and I love to cook.”

“Sounds perfect to me...well, I guess I better get out of your hair.”

Merle got up to leave and since he was already on the porch he didn't have far to go.

“Thanks for staying...this was nice,” she said.

“Was my pleasure,” he said.

He wanted a kiss, to establish his intentions, and for the first time in years he was terrified of making a move too fast, but still went for it. He moved in closer to her and found her not moving away.

“This OK?” he asked when his lips were mere inches from hers.

“Yes,” she whispered back.

Merle lay a soft kiss on her lips and it just lingered there for a second before she moved in a little closer. Her hands came to rest on his upper arms and for a moment her bottom lip slid between his own. That's where it ended, but it was not like any kiss Merle could recall.

The grin on her face as he backed up said that she could feel something too and all the way home that night he wondered what he was getting himself into. For a long time, his life had been free and easy. Developing feelings for a woman would make things more complicated but he had to see where things were going with Jacqui, already he had no choice.

* * *

**Bad Company**

**Chapter 3**

“So, how did it go?”

Sasha didn't normally speak to him at work but she made it her mission to come and find him at lunchtime the day after the date.

“Not bad at all,” he winked.

“I take it you two had...sex?”

“Nope”

“No?”

“The thing is...I mean, I know you don't know me that well and all you do know about me is that I do these favors sometimes...” he sighed then, not sure how she'd react to him being interested in her aunt.

“What are you saying?” she pressed.

“I met her and I stayed to help clean up and then she invited me to stay for a drink and...we had a really nice time together. She asked me to come over for dinner and I said yes."

“Wow...uh...”

“Are you mad? I know I'm probably not the kind of person you saw her with but I really like her already and I'm not looking to hurt her or anything.”

“I'm just surprised, and I worry about her. I was kinda having a panic attack when I knew you were with her. I was wondering if I lost my mind asking you to do that.”

“Well, I didn't so it's all good.”

“If she likes you, and you swear that you aren't trying to mess with her, I would be ok with it. I just want her to be happy. That's all I want.”

“I won't hurt her. I promise you that, Sasha.”

Sasha agreed to stand back and allow them to see where it was going, but Merle could tell that she was still nervous about it and he understood it.

/

Merle called Jacqui that Monday after work. He needed to know when they'd be able to see each other again.

“Hey you,” she said when she could tell that it was him.

“How was your day?” he began.

“Good. Got four calls already about new business so that's good. I'll be busy this week.”

He felt a sudden fear that she was brushing him off and used zero tact in asking about it.

“Too busy to see me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No! No, I'm not saying that. I'm just glad to have new clients.”

It wasn't like him to react this way and he felt instantly stupid.

“Oh, right. OK. Sorry about that...”

“It's OK. I'd actually love to see you this week.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow night?”

“I'll be there,” he smiled on the other end of the phone.

“Sure, I'd like that. I thought about you almost all day yesterday.”

He was taken aback by her honesty and his heart skipped a little.

“Same here,” he confessed. "Can't wait to see you tomorrow."

/

Merle floated through his day at work all day Monday, thinking about Tuesday night when he'd get to spend time with Jacqui alone. He was a little scared of how strong his feelings for her were but he couldn't fight it if he tried. Something about the way she looked at him made his heart beat fast and his palms got sweaty.

He ran back to his apartment in Oakman after work to get cleaned up and then raced to Jasper to meet Jacqui at her beautiful home. He'd never been in a home like Jacqui's, it was decorated with such purpose while his own little home only had what it needed to function.

She showed up at the door in the red dress from the photo he'd seen from Sasha and she looked even more beautiful in person. He was in jeans and a button-down shirt and he felt underdressed.

“You look gorgeous,” he grinned.

“You look pretty good yourself, come on in."

She had made steak fajitas with all the trimmings: cut up onion, peppers, tomatoes, avocados, salsa, sour cream, and sharp cheddar. It looked absolutely delicious and smelled like heaven.

“Damn! This looks incredible. Looks like you've been cooking all day.”

“Nah, I only started an hour ago. Would you like a drink?”

“Sure, thanks.”

Jacqui handed him a cold beer and he sat down at the island in her kitchen to watch her finish everything up.

“I wish I could cook, I'd like to return the favor,” he smiled.

“It's not so hard, I bet you could do it if you tried.”

“For you, I'll give it a go,” he winked.

They ate dinner in her dining room and his eyes poured over the art on the walls, the candles in the wall sconces and what appeared to be a Persian rug on the floor.

“Your house is really beautiful.”

“What's your place like?” she asked.

“Uh...I'll be honest, it's pretty bad. It needs a lot more than a little work if I ever did sell it.”

“I'm sure it's not that bad, maybe I could have a look around when you cook for me,” she winked.

Merle swallowed hard at the idea of having her in the dump he called home, not to mention the idea of cooking her food that didn't make her sick. Most of his food came out of a box from the freezer and he'd even screw that up occasionally.

“Can't wait,” he nodded.

She suggested they have a second drink on the porch after clearing the plates and he went along happily. A proper date was nice. This wasn't all just trying to get laid, she was interested in him as a person and he was very interested in everything about her. Sitting next to Jacqui on the porch swing was something he wanted to continue for the foreseeable future.

“I love sitting out here with you,” he said as she moved over closer to him.

“Same...it feels like I've known you a lot longer than I have. Does that sound dumb?”

“No. I feel it too.”

Everything was quiet for a moment and she just smiled at him. He was always running his mouth with women, eager to just get the whole thing moving. With Jacqui, he was afraid to move too fast and miss anything. He liked just being with her, he liked feeling nervous, he liked the stakes being so high.

“It probably sounds crazy in this day and age...but I only ever dated my husband,” she said suddenly. “We met in high school and just never broke up.”

“He must have been really special,” Merle smiled.

“He was. I'm sorry, but I just can't pretend that this isn't a little hard for me, even though I do like you very much,” she sighed.

“I don't want to rush you, Jacqui. Take all the time you need and if you decide you don't want to keep seeing me, I'll understand. I'll be really sad about it, but I'll understand,” he said.

“You're the first man I've been interested in for 7 years...I don't think that's about to change,” she said softly.

Merle moved closer to her on the porch swing and she leaned her head against his shoulder before slowly taking his hand. They moved just a little, nice and slow as he pushed against the deck with his foot. Eventually, she looked up at him and he just had to kiss her.

It was slow and perfect. He took her face in his hands and turned his head to the side to slowly licked the seam of her lips, urging her to open her mouth a little. Her tongue moved against his own like they did this every day and she lay her little right hand on his thigh as he turned sideways to face her on the swing. His body was on fire already from just a kiss and he didn't want it to end.

“Wanna go inside to the couch?” she asked. “I think we're putting on a show out here.”

Merle nodded and followed her inside. She sat down on her big leather couch and he went right back to the kiss before she changed her mind, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her a little closer to him.

“Tell me if it's too fast,” he breathed.

“It's not...this is perfect,” she answered.

“I never felt like this before,” he said and although it sounded like a meaningless cliche, he never meant anything more. Jacqui was making him really feel something new. By this point, he'd forgotten all about Sasha bringing the two of them together. All he could think of was being in the moment with her and praying that there would be many more moments.

“You're driving me crazy,” she sighed and it was so sensual he could barely hang on.

Merle knew he couldn't go rushing it, tearing her clothes off to ravish her and for once he didn't even want that. If he ever got to make love to her, he wanted it to be an event. He wanted her to never regret it being with him.

Merle moved over her until she was laying partially under him and he kissed her like he'd been waiting years for it, maybe he had been in some way without even knowing it. He thought he knew what kissing was all about, he did it enough, but it never felt like this before. He paused for a moment to look into her eyes, he had to check in to be sure he wasn't freaking her out, but she looked more than happy with him.

“I love being with you,” she said. “It's scary, but I love it.”

“Scary?”

“This feels too good to be true.”

“I know what you mean,” he smiled.

He moved in again to kiss her neck and dared to slide his hand down her body to her knee. She was breathing heavy and slow and he knew she was into it. She was burning for him just like he was burning for her.

Her right leg moved out to the side, allowing him to move between her thighs and his mind went blank with lust. He thrust against her slow and kissed her neck hungrily sucking her skin just below her ear as his hands ran up and down her body greedily taking it all in.

“Sorry,” he almost growled. “I should try to control myself but it ain't easy with you.”

She didn't even answer, she just threaded her fingers through his hair and arched her back a little to allow him more access to her neck. He took that as a sign that he wasn't pushing it yet and so he let himself go a little further.

Merle ran his hand down the back of her thigh and gradually up her dress and she whined in approval at the sensation of his big hand grabbing her ass. He was painfully hard, but all he wanted to do was get her off somehow, he wanted her coming back for more. Jacqui hissed when the very tips of his finger brushed along the elastic of her panties around the back of her thigh. She lifted her foot up onto his lower back and he knew then that she wanted to get there, she needed him to get her there. This wasn't going to be sex or even oral sex, this was going to be orgasm the old school way, like when you were 14 and sneaking around in your parent's basement. Something about the junior high level petting was such a tease and he loved it.

“You like that?” he crooned.

“Mmmmm...”

He ran his fingers over the crotch of her panties and she whined in a way that said she was already close.

"I wanna get you there, Jacqui," he groaned.

"This is embarrassing, but I'm so close."

He continued to tease her through the damp material and kissed her till she was breathless as he did. Very soon, he needed to touch her there and slid his hand down the front of her panties to get her there and was met by the perfection of her womanhood. He teased her slow and gentle and slid one finger inside her, sensing how long it had really been for her with the pressure against his skin. He moved his thumb in slow teasing circles around her clit and fingered her in a sleepy rhythm for just a few seconds before she absolutely lost her mind.

She whimpered as her back arched deeply and her eyes rolled back into her head. Her breathing stopped and her entire body stiffened and shuddered, he felt it all radiating off of her.

He watched her face as she came, he had to kiss her forehead as she floated back down to Earth. Merle knew that he wanted her like he never wanted any other woman and that he always would.

“Did I do OK?” he teased when she finally opened her eyes.

“Yeah...wow, it's been a really long time since that happened. I would have done something back but I was in a total daze there,” she laughed.

“Hey, all I wanted was to make you feel good, you just relax and don't even think about me tonight. I'll survive.”

“You're a good man,” she sighed.

“I try to be.”

Merle thought about his favors and wondered if that was really true. He didn't lie to women, but was he really a good man? Was he good enough for Jacqui?

He held her for over an hour as they chatted about everything and nothing. As he got in his truck to drive home, he knew he'd do anything to keep her now. It was terrifying and awesome all at once.

* * *

**Bad Company**

**Chapter 4**

“Hey, Merle, could I talk to you for a minute?”

Merle was in the lunch trailer on the worksite when he noted Sasha walking toward him and hoped there weren't any issues.

“Sure.”

He followed her to her office and she closed the door behind them.

“Everything OK?”

“Yeah, I just need to talk to you so we can keep our stories straight.”

“Huh?”

“My aunt called me last night and couldn't stop talking about you. She knows we both live in Oakman but what do we tell her when she finds out we work together. Will that look suspicious?”

“It's a refinery site and there's a hundred different men who come in and out of here in all the different trades. Couldn't you just tell her we never met? Before you asked me about her, I really didn't know you at all.”

“Good idea. It just threw me for a loop cause she doesn't normally talk to me about personal things. Until you, she didn't have a lot of personal things to talk about.”

“So...what did she say about me?” he grinned.

“She's head over heels by the sound of it. I sure hope you are too or she's gonna get hurt and that's the last thing I wanted.”

“I'm crazy about her,” he assured Sasha.

“Really?”

“My favor days are over for good,” he said.

It was the first time he was officially closing the door on that chapter of his life and it didn't even bother him. He knew then that she must be the one.

“She really does sound happy,” Sasha smiled.

“And I didn't even sleep with her,” Merle assured her. “I wanna take it slow. I really like her a lot.”

“Thank God for that. So the story is that we will be all shocked to find out we work at the same place and we just never met. Deal?”

“Perfect. Maybe you could tell her that you came across my name on some paperwork and found out I work here. Then it's all taken care of sooner than later,” he suggested.

“Good idea. I'll talk to her tonight.”

“Perfect.”

Merle left Sasha's office thinking nothing could go wrong and that there was no way Jacqui would find out it was anything more than a fluke that brought them together, but that wasn't to be the case.

/

Merle got a call from Jacqui that night, asking if he'd like to go to a drive-in movie in town. Apparently, it was a regular event in Jasper in the summer. They'd set it all up in the park on a giant screen and charge only $10/car and a modest donation for the local food bank. Jacqui hadn't been to the drive-in since her husband passed away.

“Not so fun to go to a drive-in alone, if you know what I mean,” she laughed.

“Are you sayin' I might get to second base?” he grinned on the other end of the phone line.

“You just might. They're playing Titanic so it'll be kinda romantic.”

“Never seen it.”

“Are you serious? It's pretty good actually.”

“I'll probably be more focused on you, but OK,” he smiled.

“Oh! Just a second, I have another call. It's my niece.”

Just like that, she was gone and he felt nervous. Sasha would be informing Jacqui that they worked at the same place and pouring it on thick about what a surprise that was. He hoped that she was buying it and that the secret about how they met would never come out. To Merle, it made no difference because he hadn't taken anything in return for meeting her and told Sasha that he genuinely liked her the very next day. Not to mention that he still hadn't slept with her. None of that would likely matter to Jacqui if she found out about the original plan but Merle couldn't see any way that could happen now. Sasha wasn't saying a word and neither was he.

“You aren't gonna believe this!” she exclaimed as soon as she clicked back over to Merle.

“What?”

“My niece works with you!”

“Seriously? I'm a pipe-fitter though,” he laughed.

He had to make it sound real...please, sound real.

“She's in accounting. She's the one who deals with your paychecks.”

“Small world! What's her name anyway?”

“Sasha Williams.”

“Doesn't ring a bell but I'll hunt her down to say hi tomorrow.”

/

Jacqui believed the whole thing and Merle couldn't be happier. He was excited to go to the drive-in with Jacqui. He was looking forward to seeing where it all went. He didn't miss anything about being single or screwing around. All he wanted was her and whatever lay ahead for them as a couple. Merle Dixon had turned a corner in his life, but there was still something coming he didn't expect.

Merle stopped by his little ugly home after work the next day to get ready to take Jacqui to the movies. Having actual plans to see a woman was exciting. It was so much more fulfilling than the mere thrill of the hunt that he had before. He had someone waiting just for him, he wasn't just turning up in some woman's life to get her mind off someone else. Merle Dixon finally had a woman waiting to talk to him, kiss him, care about him, and he loved it.

He put on his regular jeans and a t-shirt because he knew he didn't need to impress her to be good enough. Jacqui liked him just as he was.

He pulled up outside her home and she was on the porch swing looking gorgeous as ever.

“Hey there, honey!” he called to her and her face lit up at the sound of his voice.

There was nothing not perfect about him and Jacqui. She was exactly what he needed and wanted most.

“Ready for a good cry?” she joked.

“How do you mean?”

“This movie always makes me cry and I've seen it a hundred times.”

“Awww,” he teased. “Don't cry my baby, I'll cuddle ya all night long if that's what it takes.”

“My man,” she grinned. “Are you gonna buy me a root beer float and popcorn too?”

“You just try and stop me, honey. I'll buy ya anything you want that I can afford,” he laughed.

All the way to the park where the movie was playing, she snuggled up to him in the truck like they were teenagers. Jacqui was head over heels, just like Sasha said she was and he could feel it in everything about her.

They found a spot in the back where all the lovers in Jasper were hoping to get lucky and he found the station on the radio for the audio on the movie.

He leaned over to kiss her nice and slow and then decided to walk over to the concession to buy her some treats.

“Can you grab me a $20 out of my wallet there?” he asked.

Merle pointed to where he kept his wallet in the glove box and she opened it to find him the money he asked for. A tiny folded slip of paper fell out and drifted to the floor of the truck as she handed him the $20 and he winked as he went off to buy her popcorn.

/

Jacqui leaned over to pick up the piece of paper to put back in his wallet and unfolded it despite it being none of her business. She was curious about him. Even if it was a shopping list, she liked the idea of just looking at his handwriting. She was stunned to see her name and then some more random information that seemed to do with her...it said likes and dislikes and her heart sank in confusion. Why did this note exist? Why was it in his wallet? Who had told him these things about her?

She waited for him to return and he looked happy to see her as always.

“Hope your hungry, honey. Got you one of just about everything and even some extra napkins in case you do cry.”

“Merle?”

“Yeah?”

“What's this?”

He looked at the piece of paper in her hand and she could tell that it wasn't something he wanted to talk about. She felt rage then that she had allowed herself to fall so hard for someone who was clearly hiding something from her.

“Who told you this about me?” she demanded.

“I can't tell you...it's a long story but I swear to God that it doesn't change anything about how I feel for you.”

“Merle, tell me why you have this? What's going on?”

“Honey...it could get someone else into trouble. I don't know how to explain it without it sounding bad,” he pleaded.

Jacqui didn't want any of this. For years she hid from love because Jerry was the only man she could really trust; she could see that now. This was all a very clear sign that she shouldn't have trusted someone new. It was all just as she feared. She grabbed the door handle, just determined to run from all the negative feelings she had going on inside.

“Please! Please, don't leave. I swear it's not as bad as it looks. I love you!”

She paused for a moment, desperate to hear some kind of real explanation because, truth be told, she loved the way it felt to be with him.

“I...it's just that...Jacqui, please just don't go!”

With that, she was out the door and running across the field to the concession shack where she planned to call a cab.

“Jacqui, don't walk out on this. I swear this is nothing bad...”

She ran from him like he could kill her with heartache alone. There was a little voice she had been ignoring that said maybe this wasn't what it seemed. That Merle was too good to be real, and now she had reason to believe that voice was right. She got to the concession stand and hid in the bathroom for twenty minutes before calling a cab to escape the evening and the whole mess of trying to find love again. It wasn't until she'd been home for over an hour that it dawned on her that Merle and Sasha might have actually known each other. Who else would tell him that she hated when men yapped about sports too much?

* * *

**Bad Company**

**Chapter 5**

Merle went back to the truck eventually. He wasn't able to locate Jacqui and was starting to look like an aggressive stalker or something. Back in his truck, he sat, dumbfounded at his own stupidity for not throwing that note away. How could he ever explain what happened without it sounding terrible? He knew how women were, she was never going to be OK with him agreeing to see her as a favor. This would never sound OK to a woman and yet it really wasn't that way at all. It was true that he had agreed to those terms but even on day one, he knew it was more, he knew he wanted her for real. Now he was sat in his truck alone watching a root beer float melt that he had been excited to watch her enjoy. He wondered if she would ever speak to him again.

He left the drive-in and drove back to Oakman in a complete daze. Once home, he knew that he'd never find another Jacqui and that he would never be happy in the same way without her. He tried to call her but she didn't answer and he didn't really blame her. It looked bad and he hadn't explained it at all. She might have even been a little freaked out at seeing a note like that. He poured a glass of scotch and sat down at his kitchen table alone. His home was bland and cold and lifeless, Jacqui's home was filled with art and life and warmth. Maybe he deserved to be in the position he was though, maybe all the playing around he'd done meant that happy endings were not for him.

Merle decided to text her and then proceeded to get so drunk that he forgot his own name.

**_I love you more than I love anyone, more than I love myself. I'll never want a woman the way I want you, Jacqui. I know it looks bad and if you let me I swear I'll tell you the whole truth, but you have to know that from the first moment I lay eyes on you, I was a taken man. Ever since we met, my feelings for you were nothing but 100% real. Always yours, Merle xo_ **

The message didn't say 'read' and he wondered if maybe she hadn't gotten home OK. Maybe she was simply ignoring him and he wouldn't blame her at all for that.

“You really blew it now. She was your last chance, you idiot,” he sighed.

He was completely alone and sadder than he knew possible. For the first time since childhood, he weakened to the point that he cried a little. He didn't know what he could ever say to her to make it right.

/

“Hey, Auntie! How's it going with that new man of yours?”

“Why don't you tell me a little something?”

“Sure. What is it?”

“How is it that Merle had a piece of paper in his wallet with my likes and dislikes?'

“What? I...I don't know, Auntie...I...maybe.”

“Cut it out. Tell me the truth,” Jacqui demanded.

“I asked him to meet you.”

“Why?”

“I wanted you to move on. Uncle Jerry has been gone a long time and I hate to see you alone.”

“It was for pity? You got a man to meet me out of pity, like some cheap favor? How could you do that to me?”

“The day after he met you he came to me and said how much he liked you, Auntie. He asked me if he could have my blessing to date you and I thought it was great.”

“Wait a second. He asked for your blessing to date me...what were you asking him to do in the first place if it wasn't dating me?” Jacqui exclaimed.

“Auntie...”

“Was this some kind of booty call or something? What the hell were you thinking, Sasha?”

“I screwed up, and I'm sorry, but I'm telling you he really loves you, Auntie. Go ahead and hate me if you want to but please speak to him.”

“I can't speak to him now. I'm humiliated.”

“You're just scared.”

“How dare you-”

“That's why you went for seven years alone...and I get it. Nobody will ever be Uncle Jerry. I know how much he loved you, but I think Merle is your second love and I can't watch you walk away from this.”

“You took something that was supposed to happen organically and made me look like a desperate pity case and the worst part of all is that I loved him too,” Jacqui almost wept.

“If you loved him, you wouldn't let my mistake stop you.”

“Since when are you so abrupt with me?” Jacqui huffed.

“I can stand you being mad at me, it wasn't my place to stick my nose into your business but I did what I did out of love and love came from it, so I won't sit here pretending it was all bad....he loves you, Auntie.”

“You just have no idea how stupid I feel now, Sasha. I let myself dream of a future with this man and now I can hardly look him in the eye.”

“He adores you. That's all I can say.”

“You made a fool of me, Sasha...and I don't even know what to do now.”

“Auntie...”

“I have to go. I need to think.”

“Auntie, I'm sorry.”

“I know, and I forgive you...but I don't think I can be with him now.”

/

“Merle?”

“Yeah?”

“I need to talk to you.”

Merle sighed and followed Sasha back to her office, where the whole mess began. He had missed work the day before, completely unable to get out of bed from an agonizing hangover.

“Well, you got me in a lot of shit with my Aunt. Why the hell did you hang onto that note?” she sighed.

“I'm an idiot, I guess. She'll never come back to me now...sorry, I got you into trouble. I never told her about the arrangement but she must have figured out that it was you who told me that stuff. Guess it wasn't rocket science.”

“Yeah...I don't know if she'll ever trust me again after this.”

“I love her,” he sighed.

“I know. I told her that, but she's really focused on being embarrassed about the whole thing.”

“That's a shame, cause I see this as more of a blind date kind of thing than anything else. As soon as I met her I knew I wasn't going to just try to sleep with her. I knew right away that it would be different and it was.”

“My Auntie is a proud woman...I don't know how to get through to her now.”

“I'll keep trying till she gets a restraining order if I have to.”

“I wish you luck and I'm sorry about all this mess,” she sighed.

“It's all my fault. I just didn't think of that stupid piece of paper. I totally forgot it was there.”

“It's all good. I know your heart is in the right place.”

“It really is. I'm crazy about her.”

/

Merle had to think hard. He needed a way to convince her that he didn't see any reason for her to be embarrassed, he needed to get her back onto the same page with him.

* * *

**Bad Company**

**Chapter 6**

Merle called a few more times over the next day but Jacqui didn't answer. There was an emptiness inside that felt like it would never go away and that's when he decided that she deserved every single piece of the story. In the end, it would probably make her decision to never speak to him again easier and it might be the last good thing he could do for her.

He knew that she was always home by 6 pm, so he decided to be at her house the next day when she got home from work. Maybe she'd tell him to get lost and that was fair, but he had to tell her everything.

He arrived at her home straight after work, still in his coveralls. There was no longer any point in trying to impress her with his looks. He was determined to put the past to rest and make sure she knew who he was before she let him go for good.

He could see her expression change as she noted his truck in front of her house when she pulled up. Jacqui got out of her car and just shook her head with a frown as he hopped out of his truck to approach her.

“Just 5 minutes. Please.”

“Fine.”

She stepped onto the porch and sat on the porch swing with her briefcase on her lap.

“I don't know what you could have to say, Merle. This is already a mess.”

“I know...and I'm probably going to make it worse but you deserve to know everything.”

“That sounds ominous,” she frowned.

“I'm not a good man...I'm sure I'm nothing like your husband was. Before I met you, I was the kind of man who would screw around and treated sex very casually. I would even sleep with a woman as a favour sometimes...this happened probably 6 times in the last year or so. Sometimes a buddy at work would have an ex who wouldn't get over it...I even had a couple of female friends who wanted to help a friend of theirs get over someone. I never told any of these women I loved them. I always made it clear that it was just one night. I know that doesn't really make it better but it's the truth. When Sasha mentioned that you were a widow I refused to even ask for gas money to meet you and the very next day I told her that I wanted you for real. I knew the first time I spoke to you that you were everything I ever wanted and I needed Sasha to know that too. Her heart was in the right place and so was mine, but what happened to you was still incredibly unfair.”

She said nothing, and he could tell she was overcome with conflicting thoughts.

“I'm garbage, Jacqui. As much as I wanted to hide all of this and try my hardest to get you back, you deserve to know the ugly truth. I'm really not worth your time and I'm sorry that I got your hopes up. Please, don't give up on love cause of me cause I know you could find someone who's worth the risk. You deserve a much better man than I am. I do love you, I'm gonna love you and wish I hadn't fucked this up till the day I die, but I have to face the facts that I'm just not good enough.”

“Merle...”

“Hey, I got nothing to lose now, so I may as well spill my guts, right?” he sighed. “I never felt anything like I felt when I kissed you...and I'll never have that again. Sorry. I know this is my fault, but it still hurts like hell. I was looking forward to the day we would make love cause it was gonna be the first time for me to be honest. I've slept with women, but it was never making love. I'll never have that now and I know it's cause some men don't deserve it, especially not me.”

“I just feel so stupid,” she frowned.

“You shouldn't. Sasha just wanted you to move on and find love because she loves you and she wanted to see you happy. It's not her fault, she just picked the wrong man.”

Jacqui didn't say anything then. She just looked at him with her pretty eyes until he felt like maybe he should leave.

“I'll go now, but I want you to know that it was real for me. Every good moment with you was real. I was never here when I didn't want to be. From the moment Sasha showed me your photo at the office, I knew I had to meet you. You were the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen and I had to try even though I never thought I had a prayer,” he shrugged. “Thanks for giving me a shot I didn't deserve. I'll never forget how close I was to having it all.”

He pulled his keys from his coveralls to get going before he started bawling like a softy but she stopped him before he reached the truck.

“Wait a minute,” she sighed.

This was it, he had to beg cause it's all he had left. He knew he didn't deserve a second chance but he was about to beg anyway.

“Please don't make me go,” he exclaimed, desperation thick in his gravely voice. “I swear to God I'll never let you down again...please gimme another chance. This is real, I know you feel it too and-”

“Merle, stop.”

He waited for her answer and had no idea at that moment what it was. She was hard for him to read but maybe that's what love was all about.

“I know you weren't trying to hurt me, I know that. I still feel pretty stupid...but I can't let you go.”

Merle let out a deep sigh of relief and grabbed hold of her before she could change her mind.

“I know I did wrong and you had every reason to be hurt and angry. I ain't makin' no excuses. I just wanna make it right, honey.”

He could tell then that he should shut up and kiss her, he could see it in her eyes, so he did just that. It was like a kiss in the movies, Merle could swear he hear music playing somewhere. This was all the stuff he never believed in before, this was true love.

* * *

**Bad Company**

**Chapter 7**

Kissing a woman he thought he'd never kiss again was intense and he knew that whatever happened that night between them, it had to be the best he could do for her. Merle needed to show her exactly how much he loved her, it wasn't just about trying to get her off.

“Tell me I can trust you,” she whispered as his mouth found her neck.

“I promise you, I'm never gonna let you down, honey.”

She seemed to relax fully into the moment then and began to urge him back toward her front door. He moved with her up the stairs, never breaking the kiss. She started to pull down the zipper on his filthy coveralls and found him in nothing but underwear beneath them.

“Well then,” she grinned. “That was easy.”

Merle followed her into her bedroom and squirmed his shoulders out of the coveralls to get moving with what was sure to be the best evening of his life. Her eyes drank in his body and he could feel her hunger growing as her apprehension diminished.

“I just couldn't let you go,” she moaned when he snatched her up in his arms again to back her against the wall.

“Thank God for second chances. You won't regret it,” he insisted and he started on the buttons of her blouse. “I'm gonna treat you so nice, honey.”

“You do kinda owe me, I cried my damn eyes out the last few days,” she said.

“I'll never make you cry again and I'll do my best to make up for it now,” he winked.

He kissed down her body as she stood with her hands pressed to the wall for stability. He knelt at her feet and unzipped her skirt to pull it down to the ground. He looked up at her, standing in only her bra and panties, and licked slowly from her knee to her belly.

“You're a little evil, aren't you?” she winced.

“I'm a lot more than a little evil, you just wait.”

Merle ran his big rough hands up and down her thighs and then lifted her right leg onto his shoulder to get in close to her fire.

She ran her fingers through his hair and soon he was kissing her through her panties, teasing her out of her mind.

“It's been forever,” she panted. “I can't take this for long.”

He slid her panties to the side then and gripped her tight by the ass as his tongue found the nerves it needed to access.

“Good God!” she whined.

He loved the way she sounded and couldn't wait to get inside her. Being only her second lover was significant and he wanted to do it just right.

He moved his tongue in slow zig-zags across her lips and kept it soft and gentle as she was eased into an orgasm he hoped she'd remember. Her knees tensed and were beginning to buckle so he didn't let up for a second. He wanted her melting down the wall in ecstasy.

/

Jacqui was almost blinded with need and could barely keep herself standing. Merle's tongue was soft and almost vibrating over her pussy and she'd never felt anything like it. The man knew how to be forgiven.

He was holding her tight by the hips and moving his face back and forth slowly teasing his tongue and lips over hers and she began to crack in the best way possible.

“Merle,” she cried out, almost as a warning that she was probably going to fall.

“I got you,” he said in that sexy deep rough voice and suddenly one of his fingers was inside her stroking her inner walls and tipping the scales.

“Oh my God! Oh my God, Merle! Jesus!”

Sure enough, she gradually slid down the wall and he grinned at his handiwork for a moment before sweeping her up in his arms and laying her on the bed.

“Tell me I can have you, honey...tell me I can make love to you,” he begged.

“Come here, Merle. I need you so bad.”

He climbed over her then and refused to allow her to please him back, insisting that it was all about her this time.

He kissed her hands and then lifted them over her head to come in close, filling her with his perfect dick as he did.

Jacqui hissed in absolute fulfillment. Merle felt like he was made for her in every physical way.

“How does this feel so right?” she breathed.

“I don't know, but I'm the luckiest man in all of Georgia...that's all I know right now.”

Merle fucked her nice and slow, nothing fancy, but it felt like heaven. He kissed her like he'd been waiting years for it and she knew he meant every word of his apology. Trust wasn't ever an easy thing for her but she knew she could let Merle into her life, it wasn't about facts on paper, she could just feel it in her heart.

By the time he came, it was almost written in stone, they were one and it was going to last. They both knew it.

/

“I better text Sasha and tell her it's all good now...I think I made her feel bad and I didn't mean to.”

Jacqui grabbed her phone and sent a message to her niece as Merle clung to her like she was keeping him afloat in the ocean.

“Cuddly guy, huh?” she grinned.

“You ain't goin' nowhere,” he yawned and pulled her in even closer.

Sasha texted back that she was very happy to hear they had made up and Jacqui thanked her for the set up even if it didn't go quite as planned.

“Jacqui?”

“Yeah?”

“When people ask how we met, can we leave out the part where I fucked it all up?”

Jacqui laughed then, she could already find humor in it.

“Deal,” she laughed.

“Cool...so can I stay the night?” he asked.

“You better, I'm nice and warm right now, you're not going anywhere.”

“Don't tempt me, I might move in,” he laughed.

“Don't tempt me, I might let you.”

/

Merle moved to Jasper when the refinery job ended and was never again known as a 'bad company' kind of man who would do sexual favors. He was a happily taken man who belonged to only one woman.

**~ The End**

**Author's Note:**

> Again, I know it's probably not some people's cup of tea to have a whole story posted at once like this but I know I'll be very busy come the 4th of January so this is a much easier way for me to get my newest stories out there.   
> I feel like my writing will be slowing down a little in the year ahead. I will be writing less but hopefully, it will result in an increase in quality and enjoyment for the reader.  
> Much love, Teagan xoxo


End file.
